In the Hebrew language, rest means to be calm, wait patiently, lay down, and put aside. There is a clear ceasing of effort and a renewed focus on God that restores energy and enthusiasm. Schmidt made a great point here too: “A fatigued leader is discouraged, weary, and perhaps even angry or irritable. Rest restores emotional energy.” Parents, our kids need us to rest, and we need to model rest to them. Leaders, those you are leading will benefit greatly from your resting.

From the COVID crisis to financial burdens, and from fear and isolation to a divided nation, millions are lacking peace and rest. But I believe we can find rest if we look to the right source. As one theologian said, “Rest is desisting from exertion.”

Expending energy has a time and a very important place in our lives—we were created to work. But we were also created to rest. The problem for many is that they never stop and rest. They are always wound up, so to speak.

In a helpful article on the reasons spiritual leaders need rest (which all of us should read), author Cary Schmidt says, “Pastors and ministry leaders don’t ever really ‘clock out.’ It’s a part of the call. The needs are incessant. The only means of real survival is to pull away from the demands long enough to restore. Everyone must come up for air eventually or die.” Nowadays, most of us never “clock out.” Whether it’s running the kids back and forth seven days a week or working frantic hours, we are busier than ever because we often measure success by busyness. The busier I am, the more successful I am, so we think.

Schmidt adds, “The primary reason we struggle to rest is that our identity is tied to the things that keep us running at a breakneck pace. We have anchored our sense of self to what we do for God—therefore we can never do enough, and if we stop (even for a short time), we feel a loss of self and fear His disapproval.”

Could it be that God wants most of us to slow down? Absolutely. We are glued to screens, addicted to phones, and enslaved to sports and entertainment. We scurry around every day looking for the next thing to do, but we never find the rest we need. We go to bed exhausted and wake up exhausted. Something must change.

A Spiritual Reset

What many need is a spiritual reset. Reset means to take something back to zero or to renew. Rest prevents burnout and breakdown and provides clarity and peace. Resting allows us to remove the competing voice of busyness and hear more clearly from God. I believe that the Sabbath was designed to keep Israel from working too much, and instead, focus solely on God. We would do well to follow that same model. Try turning your phone off and not going on the computer all day—take the day completely off and turn your attention to God. And just watch how quickly the stronghold of addiction tries to undermine it.

In the Hebrew language, rest means to be calm, wait patiently, lay down, and put aside. There is a clear ceasing of effort and a renewed focus on God that restores energy and enthusiasm. Schmidt made a great point here too: “A fatigued leader is discouraged, weary, and perhaps even angry or irritable. Rest restores emotional energy.” Parents, our kids need us to rest, and we need to model rest to them. Leaders, those you are leading will benefit greatly from your resting.

Isaiah reminds us that “even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for [rest in] the Lord shall renew their strength” (40:30-31). We wait for what we value. Waiting on the Lord, or resting, shows how much we value our relationship with God and hearing from Him. Like a desert that waits for the rain or a bride waiting for her groom, our longing must be for God. Prioritize times in your day to pray and build intimacy with God. It won’t happen on its own.

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